Google is trying to make your smart home safer – Yahoo Finance

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Connected “internet of things” gadgets, like connected thermostats, cameras and speakers, suffer from security updates that arrive late or never. So Google (GOOG,GOOGL) has a solution in mind, and it involves the mobile operating system that has long suffered from security updates arriving late or never.” data-reactid=”22″>MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Connected “internet of things” gadgets, like connected thermostats, cameras and speakers, suffer from security updates that arrive late or never. So Google (GOOG,GOOGL) has a solution in mind, and it involves the mobile operating system that has long suffered from security updates arriving late or never.

Android Things, the “IoT” platform Google unveiled at its I/O conference here, aims to transcend the problems Android has experienced on phones by taking device makers out of the update loop. Gadgets built on this foundation, Google says, will ship with software hardened against hacking attempts and at least three years of guaranteed, automatic security patches.” data-reactid=”23″>Android Things, the “IoT” platform Google unveiled at its I/O conference here, aims to transcend the problems Android has experienced on phones by taking device makers out of the update loop. Gadgets built on this foundation, Google says, will ship with software hardened against hacking attempts and at least three years of guaranteed, automatic security patches.

So, in theory, we should get smart devices that aren’t stupid about security and don’t get taken over remotely. That would be a welcome addition to a market currently swamped by security vulnerabilities that have allowed hard-to-detect privacy violations and fueled massive denial-of-service campaigns against web infrastructure.” data-reactid=”24″>So, in theory, we should get smart devices that aren’t stupid about security and don’t get taken over remotely. That would be a welcome addition to a market currently swamped by security vulnerabilities that have allowed hard-to-detect privacy violations and fueled massive denial-of-service campaigns against web infrastructure.

Things to know about Android Things

With Android Things, Google hopes to give developers and customers more than just vague assurances. This platform is built on Google-certified chipsets from such manufacturers as Qualcomm (QCOM) around which those companies can build smart devices. Then it adds a secured and stripped-down version of Android, on which developers can write apps using standard Android tools.” data-reactid=”32″>With Android Things, Google hopes to give developers and customers more than just vague assurances. This platform is built on Google-certified chipsets from such manufacturers as Qualcomm (QCOM) around which those companies can build smart devices. Then it adds a secured and stripped-down version of Android, on which developers can write apps using standard Android tools.

Google promises a minimum of three years of security fixes for each major release. That itself is well short of the lifespan of a thermostat or an LED bulb; Google hasn’t said what the maximum period of update support would be for Android Things, but it’s definitely not just three years. The developer blog postannouncing this platform’s 1.0 release notes “additional options for extended support.”” data-reactid=”33″>Google promises a minimum of three years of security fixes for each major release. That itself is well short of the lifespan of a thermostat or an LED bulb; Google hasn’t said what the maximum period of update support would be for Android Things, but it’s definitely not just three years. The developer blog postannouncing this platform’s 1.0 release notes “additional options for extended support.”

During a keynote Wednesday morning, Android Things project-management lead Vince Wu said Android Things would soon show up in additional Google Assistant-based smart speakers and Smart Displays—and would work for everything from connected doorbells to point-of-sale terminals. Note, however, that Google’s own Nest thermostats don’t yet run on this platform.” data-reactid=”35″>During a keynote Wednesday morning, Android Things project-management lead Vince Wu said Android Things would soon show up in additional Google Assistant-based smart speakers and Smart Displays—and would work for everything from connected doorbells to point-of-sale terminals. Note, however, that Google’s own Nest thermostats don’t yet run on this platform.

Last month, Microsoft (MSFT) introduced its own IoT platform,Azure Sphere. Based on the open-source Linux operating system—itselfa major departure for the firm—this includes a full 10 years of guaranteed updates, a duration much closer to the service life of household gadgets.” data-reactid=”42″>Last month, Microsoft (MSFT) introduced its own IoT platform,Azure Sphere. Based on the open-source Linux operating system—itselfa major departure for the firm—this includes a full 10 years of guaranteed updates, a duration much closer to the service life of household gadgets.

The best possible next development would be to see the likes of Google and Microsoft prominently advertise their guaranteed-update timelines, if not get into some one-upmanship on that front. ” data-reactid=”43″>The best possible next development would be to see the likes of Google and Microsoft prominently advertise their guaranteed-update timelines, if not get into some one-upmanship on that front.

Being able to compare the support pledges on different connected gadgets would mean you wouldn’t have to feel so dumb when trying to buy a smart device. Until then, consider yourself more than welcome to hold off on flinging yourself into the connected-home lifestyle.” data-reactid=”44″>Being able to compare the support pledges on different connected gadgets would mean you wouldn’t have to feel so dumb when trying to buy a smart device. Until then, consider yourself more than welcome to hold off on flinging yourself into the connected-home lifestyle.